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Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:54 pmby chaddman
With the price of decent strings nowadays I change them as soon as the tuning becomes unstable.I have tried most gauges and can`t hear much difference between them so stick to 10-46.I have tried most makes Rotosound D`Addario Ernie Ball etc and normally get what`s on offer. I do find that pure nickel sound better and I am using PYRAMID pure nickel at the moment they were just over £3.00 a set of EBAY and sound great.
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:38 pmby cockroach
dave robinson wrote:Boiling strings is OK to an extent and it does freshen up the tone, but does nothing to combat metal fatigue at the bridge and tuning peg positions and once used, the strings are severely compromised and WILL break. If you're not someone who performs professionally it doesn't matter so much as there isn't the embarassment of having to delay your performance, but changing strings periodically is how I guarantee minimal breakage.
I have tried with quite a bit of success the strings that Ecca speaks of but as Roger mentioned, the reliability can be questionable, I too have had breakages just fitting them from new.
Breakages while gigging is one reason why I always have a spare guitar, tuned and ready, tucked just behind or near my amp on gigs! If both guitars have broken strings or electrical faults or unstable tuning issues etc etc, our rhythm player also usually brings two guitars, so we've been OK so far!
If I do break a string, I finish that number as best as I can, and when the song is finished, I just grab the other guitar, and get one of the other guys in the band to talk to the audience briefly while I get the spare plugged in etc...
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Thu Jun 22, 2017 11:22 pmby RayL
Iain Purdon wrote:RayL wrote:If we're talking bass strings, a word for Rotosound Trubass (65 - 115) which are roundwound (for tone) covered in black nylon (smoother even than flatwound). To clean, just a wipe with a damp cloth. Should last for ever.
Interesting. If I need to string a new bass, I'll gladly give these a try. The gauge is very heavy which would be new to me, I'm more of a 40-100 man, but if it was a new (to me) instrument then it would be interesting to set it up for heavy gauge and see what it sounds like.
The black nylon coating is included in the measurement of the diameter so the metal string inside will be a slightly lighter guage. I like them for gigging because they are easy to play. The fingers slip easily from note to note.
They also do a 5-string set. The low B diameter is a chunky 135 . . . . .
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:13 amby cockroach
RayL wrote:Iain Purdon wrote:RayL wrote:If we're talking bass strings, a word for Rotosound Trubass (65 - 115) which are roundwound (for tone) covered in black nylon (smoother even than flatwound). To clean, just a wipe with a damp cloth. Should last for ever.
Interesting. If I need to string a new bass, I'll gladly give these a try. The gauge is very heavy which would be new to me, I'm more of a 40-100 man, but if it was a new (to me) instrument then it would be interesting to set it up for heavy gauge and see what it sounds like.
The black nylon coating is included in the measurement of the diameter so the metal string inside will be a slightly lighter guage. I like them for gigging because they are easy to play. The fingers slip easily from note to note.
They also do a 5-string set. The low B diameter is a chunky 135 . . . . .
They were OK for bass, and used to be fairly popular in the '60's before roundwound bass strings came in..
But I tried a bloke's guitar once which had the guitar versions fitted...AAARRRGHH! Soft and slick on the fingers, but if your fingers sweated even slightly, it was like trying to walk on ice!...The guitar ones didn't take on, needless to say!
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Wed Jul 05, 2017 3:06 pmby Terry B
I've tried using heavier gauge strings but I've gone back to using 10/46's as (not having the luxury of a techie to hand me my OTHER guitar!) I find that these allow you play both the early stuff as well as more recent which has more string bending in it. String bending with 13's - arrgh - cheese cutter stuff! I have though stopped using Fender strings as I found that sets were opened only to find that rust was already appearing in places on first, second and third strings! I've gone back to Ernie Ball and never had that problem with those, and they last a fair time too! Di Addario as good as well!
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Sat Jul 29, 2017 7:57 amby stevenba
For Strats, I've found that the heaviest guage that I can comfortably play works best but have found myself using Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinky Strings (10-52) for the past 15 years. However, a few months ago I was recommended D'Addario NYXLs and I've started using them on my Grestch as they are slightly louder & brighter and also stay in tune really well. A bit more expensive, but why buy a nice guitar and save a couple of quid on strings?
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:33 amby cockroach
I've come to the conclusion that guitar strings are like underpants and shoes...if they don't feel comfortable to you, try another size!!
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:14 amby David Martin
I use Daddario 10-46 for Shadows guitars these days. When i was performing regularly, I always used Elixir and I echo Justin's findings.
For playing rock and blues - so much easier than Shadows stuff, I've been as low as 8's.... But generally 9's - easier on my arthritic hands... But pure nickel is my choice for classic Gibson sounds.
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:10 amby Pat Seaman
For the past few years, I've been using D'Addario EXL120 9.5 - 44, because I know find 10s to be a bit heavy these days, for the same reason as David, arthritic hands, and 9s just don't have enough bite. The 9.5s are a good compromise and I can still bend them ok. They also last very well and don't rust, unlike Ernie Ball's, which I have had a lot of rust problems with, even rusty in the pack.
Pat.
Re: STRINGS
Posted:
Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:39 pmby Alexis Lambert
Anyone use Pyramids?
I want to know what are the best? Cost doesn't matter.